Cell Block Tango
by kosa0504
Summary: Faberry AU - At the Ohio Reformatory for Women, Rachel Berry finds herself sharing a prison cell with Quinn Fabray. The prison is run by the ruthless Warden Sue Sylvester, along with her sadistic golden boy, Corrections Officer Finn Hudson. Drugs, gangs, and corruption run the joint. Will Quinn be able to keep Rachel safe when danger is a fact of life locked up?
1. Prologue

**Cell Block Tango**

PROLOGUE

Rachel Berry woke up in a cold sweat, images of blood on her hands haunted her dreams. She sat up and blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the darkness. For a moment, she forgot where she was, until the thin mattress squeaked underneath her weight. She breathed in the stale, moist air that smelled vaguely of sweat and piss. Rachel groaned and laid back on her bed, curled into the fetal position, and allowed the tears in her eyes to fall. She was in a jail cell in the Allen County Correctional Facility in Lima, Ohio.

Rachel sobbed as the memories played behind her closed eyes. She pictured the blood on her hands. The man above her crying out in pain as she stabbed him. She remembered running away, hoping and praying that he didn't come after her. She remembered being arrested, dragged crying and screaming in handcuffs away from her fathers' house. She remembered the trial, testifying through her tears that it was self-defense. She remembered being sentenced last week. Five years. Five years in prison for manslaughter.

Tomorrow, or today - depending on what time it was, Rachel could never tell at night - she would be transferred to her new home for the next five years. Rachel wasn't exactly sad to leave her small cell, but at least she had a single. At the Ohio Reformatory for Women, she would have a cell-mate, or maybe three. She was terrified. She had no idea what to expect. Fears about showering and getting shanked consumed her. She was 18-years-old, and Rachel Barbra Berry was going to prison.

* * *

_AN:_

_This story will be rated M for language, violence, and sexual assault. Adjust your reading accordingly._


	2. Part 1

**Cell Block Tango**

PART 1:

Quinn Fabray woke up to the shrieking alarm, the announcement over the blaring loudspeakers for the inmates to proceed to their morning destinations, either to the cafeteria for breakfast or to the showers. Quinn reached under her mattress for the nail she had hidden and scratched another tally mark in the wall by her pillow. She counted quick, one hundred and ninety five days, over six months in prison. One hundred and fourteen months to go, or about nine and a half years until she would be released.

Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her chin-length, pinkish hair. She grabbed her bathroom supplies, towel, soap, and her second uniform, and made her way down to the showers. She had to make herself look more than presentable today. She was getting a new cell-mate in a few hours.

"Hey Fabray!" yelled Santana Lopez as she caught up to Quinn in the hallway.

"Lopez," Quinn acknowledged.

"How'd you sleep?"

"The fuck kinda question is that? '_How'd you sleep?_'" Quinn snapped, "We're in fucking prison. How the fuck did _you_ sleep?"

"Pretty damn good," Santana smirked as Brittany Pierce bounded up to them and kissed Santana on the cheek.

"Oh God, no one cares that you're having sex."

"Goddamn dude, you need to get laid. Fuck. This prison is full of horny women, you'd think you'd be able to find someone to hook up with. Six months you been in here, you ain't gotten any. That's too fucking long, you ask me. Maybe this new cell-mate 'll work out for you."

Quinn scoffed, "Maybe."

"Hey, want me to hook you up? I know California thinks you're cute."

"Sammi Evans? Uh, no thanks. She's not exactly my type."

Santana laughed, "Alright then, Jewnese?"

"You know Tina and Mickey are hooking up, right?"

"Oh yeah… the Asians. How about Princess?"

"Hummel? She's as straight as an arrow. Plus, I think she's got the hots for the new guard, Anderson."

"Oh, barf," said Santana.

"I think he's cute," Brittany chimed in. "He's like a puppy dog. Have you seen those eyes?"

Quinn, Santana, and Brittany rounded the corner to the showers and found a line of twenty inmates waiting to shower. "Fuck! Why is there always a line?" Quinn complained.

"Because you're up on the third floor. Takes you longer to get down here," Santana replied.

"You're on the first floor, what's your excuse?" Quinn asked. Santana just smirked at Quinn and wrapped her arms around Brittany. "Never mind."

"Hey!" boomed the voice of one of the male Correctional Officers, Will Schuester. The tall guard with greasy, curly hair came up behind Santana and Brittany. "Inmates! No touching! Do I need to send you to Warden Sylvester for a chat about appropriate inmate behavior?"

Santana let go of Brittany and lowered her head. "No sir."

"That's what I thought," said Schuester, taking his post at the entrance to the showers.

"Prick," Santana muttered, nearly lunging after the man. Brittany quickly kissed the back of Santana's neck before anyone could see them. Santana calmed down and turned to Quinn. "So, do you know anything about your new cell-mate?"

"Nope. Haven't heard anything. She'll get here before dinner, that's all I know."

"Well, cool. We need some new meat in here, shake things up. It's gotten too boring."

"I like boring," Brittany chimed, "It means we get more Brittana time."

"Brittana?" Quinn asked.

"Brittany plus Santana. Brittana," said Brittany, as if it were so obvious. Quinn glanced at Santana as she snorted under her breath.

"It's adorable. Shut up," grumbled Santana, tough girl reputation all but gone. "Sit with us at dinner. I wanna meet your cell-mate."

"I'm sure you do."

"Think she killed someone?" asked Brittany.

* * *

Quinn lay on her bunk reading when her new cell-mate was delivered to the cell that afternoon. Schuester led her over and unceremoniously pushed her into the cell.

"Fabray, this is Berry. Berry, Fabray. Show her the ropes," said Schuester before walking off.

"Hi," Rachel said timidly. In her arms, she held her pack of bedding, a second set of clothing, and the toiletry pack of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and toilet paper. She was dressed in her new orange prison uniform, ill-fitting and quite a bit too large for Rachel's small frame.

"Hey," Quinn responded, eyeing her new cell-mate over her book. Rachel couldn't have been more than 18-years-old. She was tiny, and looked absolutely terrified. Quinn's first instinct was to protect her, even though Quinn wasn't always best at showing compassion for others. Quinn felt it was her duty to take the scared girl under her wing and make sure as hell nothing happened to her. "I'm Quinn Fabray."

"Rachel Berry."

"That's your bed," Quinn said, gesturing with a nod to Rachel's bed across the cell from Quinn's. "Keep your space neat and clean. The guards check our cells about once a week. They'll throw you in Solitary if the cell is messy."

"Okay," Rachel said, setting her things down on her bed. She sat on the bed, across from Quinn, and appraised her cell-mate. The girl with pinkish hair was young, about as young as Rachel, and she didn't look too scary. She certainly didn't look like she belonged in prison. "So... what did you do?"

"Oh for fuck sake Berry, didn't anyone ever tell you not to ask that question?"

"I thought that was just like a prison movie thing."

Quinn laughed, "You have no clue, do you? Rule number one, don't ask what people did to get in here. It doesn't matter anyway. Whatever we did, we're here and it sucks. If someone wants you to know what they did, they'll tell you, otherwise, don't ask. And if anyone asks you, you don't have to tell them. The girls can be nosey."

"Okay," Rachel replied softly.

"So, here's the deal. We wake up at 7, and we get to shower first since we're in A Block. Which is good because we get most of the hot water. Then we go to breakfast. After breakfast it's work time. You can sign up to work wherever you want, kitchen, laundry, yard, library, whatever, unless you get in trouble, then you're assigned to janitorial. Don't get in trouble, it's awful. Lunch is at noon. Then we get free time in the afternoon. Since this is medium security wing, we have the freedom, sort of, to do whatever. There's classes you can take for your GED, you can walk around in the yard, hang out in the TV and rec room, check out a book in the library, whatever. Then we have dinner at 5. After that, sometimes there's a movie in the evening, some people watch tv or play in the rec room. You have to be back in the cell by 7 for bed check. The guards come around, do a head count, and lock us in our cells. If you're not here when they lock us in, the whole wing gets locked down until you're found, and then you go in Solitary for a week. Got it?"

"I think so." Rachel's head spun with the new information, and she tried her hardest to remember it all. Rachel didn't want Quinn to think she was weak.

"Good. That's about it. Keep your head down. Don't make enemies. Just do your time quietly."

"I will."

Quinn smiled, "So, Berry, huh? I think I'm gonna call you Raz."

"Raz?"

"Like Raspberry. Raz. Most everyone has nicknames in here, and it's better to get a name that's not too bad. Otherwise you could end up named, like, Treasure Trail or some shit like that."

"Okay, Raz. I like it. What's your nickname?" Rachel asked.

"I'm Febreze."

"Febreze?"

"Fabray, Febreze."

"I don't get it," Rachel said, confused.

"It's 'cause I'm..." Quinn sighed, hating the reason for her nickname. "I didn't get to pick it. I'm…I'm like a breath of fresh air around here. That's what they said, some of the women. I'm so beautiful, I'm like a breath of fresh air, so Febreze."

Rachel giggled. "That's... It's cute."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "It's one of the reasons I dyed my hair, so I'd stop being so attractive to them. Didn't really work."

Rachel blushed slightly. She thought Quinn was already attractive. She couldn't imagine what Quinn looked like before the pink hair. Probably like an angel, she mused. Quinn really was like a breath of fresh air. Rachel hadn't met any other prisoners yet, but she imagined Quinn was the prettiest of them all. Rachel silently thanked whatever force that gave her Quinn as her cell-mate. If Quinn was the only good thing about prison, Rachel figured she may just be able to survive.

* * *

Quinn and Rachel made their way through the food line, grabbed their trays of dinner, and spotted an open table in the cafeteria. Rachel examined the food on her tray while she followed Quinn through the crowd. It didn't look all that bad, even the meat portion, which looked to be some sort of meatloaf, looked decently edible.

Rachel had resigned herself months ago, when she was first arrested and locked up for the trial, that she would have to forgo her vegan diet in order to survive in jail. Now that she was going to be in prison for the foreseeable future, she would just have to get used to eating the food they provided without complaint. She knew a request for vegan alternatives would not go over well in here. And nourishment, whatever kind of nourishment there was, was critical for her survival.

The two sat down at a table, and Rachel finally allowed herself to look around at the other women in prison with her. Everyone seemed to be engrossed in Rachel's presence. From her high school days, she was used to people looking at her and whispering about her behind her back. But never had Rachel felt such a danger about it. Slushies were one thing, but here in prison, Rachel feared the threat could be much greater.

"Everyone's looking at me," Rachel whispered.

"Ignore them," Quinn said. "You're a shiny new toy. They'll get bored of you pretty quick."

Rachel nodded and focused on stomaching the food in front of her. After taking a few bites, which really weren't all that bad, she felt a presence beside her and looked up to see a woman twice her size staring down at her.

"What's up hot stuff? You must be the new girl," said Lauren Zizes.

"Leave her alone Zizes," Quinn growled.

Lauren ignored Quinn and continued checking out Rachel. "You're a tiny little thing. You'd be great arm candy. Great fuck too, I bet."

"Hey! Back off!" yelled Quinn.

"What's your problem Febreze? I'm just introducing myself to this fine young lady."

Quinn stood up. "I said. Back. The Fuck. Off. She's with _me_."

Quinn and Lauren stared daggers at each other for a moment, then Lauren laughed. "Jeez, chill out 'Brezey." Lauren turned to Rachel, "Watch your back, short stack. This one comes with a warning label." She winked at Quinn before leaving.

"Quinn?" Rachel said.

"Forget about her, her bark is worse than her bite."

A moment later, a loud crash came from behind Quinn. Lauren Zizes was screaming at another inmate and had thrown her tray against the wall.

"Keep your head down," said Quinn to Rachel. "Don't look up."

Rachel did as she was told, but couldn't help glancing up to see what was happening. Two huge guards had tackled Zizes and were dragging her off. As the cafeteria calmed down, Rachel relaxed and continued eating.

"What the fuck pissed off Fat Bitch?" asked Santana as she sat down next to Quinn. Brittany sat down next to Santana.

"Probably me. I had to tell her off. She was trying to hit on Raz," replied Quinn.

"So, you're the new chick," said Santana, eyeing Rachel. "Raz, huh? You come up with that one?" Santana asked Quinn.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Her name is Rachel Berry, Raspberry, get it?"

"Man, you suck at that shit," laughed Santana.

"Oh yeah? And what would you have come up with?"

"Shit, I don't know. But it wouldn't have been fuckin' 'Raz'."

Rachel spoke up, "I kinda like it."

Santana laughed again. "Of course you do. I'm Santana Lopez. You can call me Cap'n."

"Cap'n?"

"Yeah, 'cause I was captain of my cheerleading squad in high school. And this is Britts, my wife."

"You can call me Stretch," Brittany said, standing and pulling one leg up so her foot was over her head. "See?"

"Impressive," said Rachel. Quinn chuckled under her breath.

"I was a cheerleader too," Brittany said proudly as she sat back down. "They used to throw me real high."

Rachel smiled and wondered to herself what Brittany could have possibly done to end up in jail. She seemed very sweet and innocent. Santana, not so much, but even she seemed out of place in prison. But Rachel bit her tongue, remembering Quinn's words of wisdom.

"So what did you do?" asked Santana, as if reading Rachel's thoughts. "This is probably the first time you've ever been in trouble in your whole life, right?"

Rachel nodded but didn't say anything. She exchanged a look with Quinn, who shook her head slightly, signalling for Rachel to not say anything.

"Oh fuck whatever Quinn told you, you can tell us what you did. I'm gonna find out sooner or later anyway, so it may as well come straight from the source, right?" Santana argued.

Rachel sighed, Santana was right. And she didn't really mind people knowing what happened. "It was self-defense."

"Of course it was," Santana winked.

"Really, it was. I was on a date with this guy, Jesse St. James. He had liked me all through high school, but I refused to date him, or anyone, in order to concentrate on my studies and my extra-curricular activities so that I would get into the college of my dreams. After we graduated, I figured what harm could one date do, since I was leaving for college in a few weeks anyway.

"So, Jesse took me to a park for a picnic," Rachel continued. "Which was very romantic of him. We stayed there until it got dark. And then Jesse tried to put the moves on me. He went too far, and he was on top of me, and he wouldn't stop. I-I couldn't get him to stop. So I grabbed my keys and I... I stabbed him with this key chain I had. It's shaped like a cat, with sharp, pointy ears to defend yourself with."

"I've seen those," said Santana.

"My fathers got it for me when I turned 16."

"Father_s_?" Brittany asked. "You have more than one?"

"Gay dads," Rachel explained.

"Cool! Gay guys are fun!" Brittany said with a smile.

"Anyway," Santana smiled and rolled her eyes at her girlfriend. "Continue."

"Right, so I stabbed Jesse a few times, but he was still on top of me, and he was heavy. I started, just... slashing at him, his face and neck. I guess I slit his throat. I finally got him off of me, and I ran away. They arrested me the next day. I was charged with manslaughter. Which I guess was okay, I did kill him."

"Fuck that shit, they should have given you a metal for what you did. He was gonna rape you. I say kill all the rapists!" Santana exclaimed. Shouts of agreement sprang up around the cafeteria. "No worries, Raz. Bitches in here 'll back you up."

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Quinn offered.

"It's okay," Rachel shrugged and smiled shyly at Quinn.

"Alright short stack, I like you," said Santana. "If anyone tries to cause you trouble, me and the Cheerios 'll protect you."

"The Cheerios?"

"My gang. We're all former cheerleaders, well, some of us. Mostly, we're all normal kids who made some bad choices. And we gotta stick together for protection."

"Do I… do I have to join? Are you making me join the gang?"

"Fuck no. I mean, if you want to join, you can, but no, I'm not making you."

"I think I'll pass, but thank you."

"What's up, ladies!" said Tina as she and Mickey joined them.

Rachel studied the new arrivals. Two Asian women, one taller, one shorter, sat on the other side of Rachel. Again, both women looked to Rachel to be harmless. She wondered what they had done, what any of them had done to be in this place.

"Asian persuasion," said Santana.

"Who's this?" asked Mickey, the taller, gangly one.

"Raz, she's the new girl, Fabray's roommate. She's cool," said Santana.

Mickey and Tina appraised Rachel for a moment, and then they both smiled.

"Welcome to the Reform, Raz. I'm Jewnese," said Tina.

"Jewnese?"

Tina rolled her eyes. "I'm Jewish and Chinese. My first cell-mate in here wasn't that clever."

Mickey chuckled, "And I'm Asian F. My first cell-mate also wasn't that clever."

"Got any advice for the poor girl on her first night here?" asked Santana.

"It's okay to cry. You're in prison, and that sucks. Just don't let anyone see you cry, or you'll be seen as weak. Stick with us, and you'll be okay," said Tina.

"Yeah, we're a good group. We got your back," said Mickey.

"Thanks," said Rachel. The rest of the group began chatting about prison gossip, this and that, but Rachel wasn't paying much attention. Her first few hours at the Reformatory, or Reform, had been a whirlwind of activity, getting fingerprinted and ID pictures taken, getting strip searched, meeting Quinn, getting a quick tour of the facilities before dinner, meeting all these new people. Rachel's head was spinning with all the new information. She wanted to do her best to acclimate quickly to her new surroundings and the new schedule. Mostly, she didn't want to let Quinn down. Rachel wanted to get this right, for the pink-haired woman who made her feel so protected and welcome.

"Hey, Raz," said Quinn quietly, breaking Rachel out of her musings. "You done?"

Rachel looked at her tray and realized she'd been pushing food around with her spoon for the past few minutes. Rachel nodded at Quinn that she was done eating.

"Wanna go for a walk around the yard for a bit before lock-in?" Quinn asked. Rachel nodded again. They picked up their trays and excused themselves from the table.

* * *

Out in the yard, it was warm and the sun was low in the sky. There were trees on the other side of the fence, but inside the yard, it was mostly grass and concrete. Rachel breathed in the fresh air and felt immediately calmer. It seemed many inmates had the same idea that Quinn and Rachel had about spending some time soaking up the sun and the air before lock-in. As they walked, Rachel felt eyes on her again.

"They're watching me," Rachel whispered.

Quinn looked around at other inmates in the yard. They watched Quinn and Rachel and gossiped about the two. She knew what the inmates were whispering about, and if she hadn't been with Rachel, and if there hadn't been any guards around, she would have physically done something about the whispering.

"They're actually watching me," Quinn replied.

"What?"

"Never mind." Quinn said, not wanting to get into the reason why the inmates were whispering about her. Quinn wasn't ready to have that conversation with Rachel yet. She sat down on a bench near one of the inner fences, and Rachel sat near her.

"So, what are-" Rachel began.

"Shh," Quinn hushed Rachel. She stopped talking for a moment, and studied Quinn. Quinn was staring at the ground in concentration. Rachel couldn't see anything on the ground that would be of that much interest to Quinn. She was very unsure of what was going on, and could only stay silent for a minute before needing to speak again.

"Quinn, what-"

"Raz, shut up." Quinn continued to stare at the ground for another minute or so. Rachel gave up trying to figure out what Quinn was doing, so she observed the prison yard in front of her. All types of women milled about, talking, laughing, walking. A few women occasionally glanced at her and Quinn and then whispered to other inmates. After being on the receiving end of much gossip in high school, Rachel was sure they were talking about her.

Rachel saw the division of the inmates, mostly whites with whites, blacks with blacks, Latinas with Latinas. Guards stood on the outer perimeter of the yard, watching the prisoners. So far, Rachel liked the yard the most of what she had seen of the prison. It was nice to see the sun, the sky, hear the birds, breathe the fresh air, and just feel like a human being again.

After a moment, Quinn lifted her head back up. "Sorry about that," she whispered.

"What was that all about?" asked Rachel.

"See those two women over there," Quinn gestured with her head to her left. Rachel glanced over and saw two large women, one black, one older and white, walking back towards the prison.

"Who are they?"

"Mercedes and Bieste, um, Black Bitch and The Beast. They're Zizes' lackeys, and part of her gang, the Phat Bitches. Phat, P-H-A-T. I wanted to hear what they were talking about."

"Oh."

"Stay away from them. They're really fucking bad news. Seriously. If they give you any trouble, you tell me or Cap'n right away."

Rachel nodded. She was planning on staying away from most everyone if she could avoid it. Rachel studied Quinn as she sat next to her. The pink-ish haired girl held a lot of tension in her posture. Perhaps it was from her observations of Zizes' gang. Perhaps it was something else. To Rachel, Quinn was a mystery, but Rachel also felt immensely safer in her presence.

Quinn was on edge. She hated feeling so useless. She knew the Phat Bitches were up to something, something to do with how drugs were getting smuggled into Reform. She was getting closer to figuring it out, and getting closer to incurring the wrath of the Fat Bitch. She was also worried for Rachel. She knew how tough it was to acclimate to prison life. Hell, she had just done it only six months ago. She wanted to protect and insulate Rachel as best she could from all the shit. Quinn knew this girl was special, and what she was feeling for her, even only after a few hours, was special as well.

"Who do we have here?"

Quinn and Rachel looked up at the same time to see Holly Holiday standing before them.

"You must be the new girl, I'm Sunshine," Holly said to Rachel.

"I'm Rachel, um, Raz," Rachel replied

Holly smiled, "It's nice to meet you Raz. Good to see you got bunked with Febreze here. She'll keep you safe. But if you ever need anything, you let me know. Anything you want brought in, as long as it's not drugs, I can get it for ya. Need your teddy bear from home, need a bottle of diet coke, need a fucking dildo, I can get it."

"Um, thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

"Do. I like to look out for my girls. Keep her safe Breezy."

"Later Sunshine," said Quinn. After Holly walked off, Quinn turned to Rachel. "She's like a mother to most of us girls."

"She seems sweet. What did she do to get in here?"

Quinn sighed and eyed Rachel.

"I know, I know," Rachel said. "I'm not supposed to ask, but just this once, could you tell me?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I heard it was Civil Disobedience. She snuck onto a military base a few years ago and chained herself to a Humvee or something. Protesting the war."

Rachel watched Holly walk back towards the main prison building. "Yeah, I could see that."

"Most of us aren't hardened criminals. We made mistakes."

Rachel held Quinn's gaze for a moment. She desperately wanted to know what happened to put Quinn in the Reform, but she would respect her cell-mate's privacy. She hoped Quinn would trust her enough to tell her sometime, and Rachel was determined to prove to Quinn that she was worthy of her trust.

* * *

Quinn heard the sobs of her cell-mate from her bed. Rachel had been quietly crying for over an hour since lights out. Quinn felt for the girl, her heart broke, she remembered her first night here. Her first cell-mate, Beth, had held Quinn as Quinn cried and cried. Quinn didn't want Rachel to think she was cold, but she wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type like Beth had been.

"Quinn?" Rachel sniffled through her tears. "Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," Quinn whispered.

"Am I keeping you up?"

"No."

Rachel sighed. She knew Quinn was lying. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm such a loser."

"You're not. Everyone does it their first night."

Rachel stayed silent, allowing herself a moment to calm down. She took stock of her situation. Her cell-mate didn't hate her. She felt safe around Quinn. She trusted her. She had made friends, sort of. She was alive. She was okay. But Rachel was still upset. Her life had been turned upside down. Everything she had worked so hard for, all her hopes and dreams, now meant nothing.

"I just... I can't believe I'm in here," Rachel whispered. "This wasn't the plan. I had a plan. Prison didn't even register on the plan. I was going to be somebody. I was going to be a star. Ever since I was a young girl, I had a dream. I was going to be on Broadway. I was going to be the next Barbra Streisand or Indina Menzel. I sacrificed my childhood striving for my dream. I took voice lessons, dance lessons, acting classes, all since I was five. I basically ran my high school's theater department and show-choir. We won nationals my senior year. I was two weeks away from going to Julliard, and four years away from staring in my very first Broadway show. And now... I'm here."

Rachel let out another sob. "I wasn't supposed to be here. This isn't fair. I tried so hard. I was so close to having everything I ever wanted. I was so close to getting out of Ohio!" She chuckled through her tears. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I'm rambling, and you probably want to sleep."

Rachel rolled onto her side facing the wall and tried to get comfortable. She closed her eyes, red and stinging from crying, and focused on trying to fall asleep. After a minute, she heard a soft sigh from the bunk next to her.

"I'm sorry Rachel. I'm sorry you're here," whispered Quinn.

Rachel smiled to herself at her cell-mate's kind words. She fell into a dreamless sleep, but at least she slept.

* * *

Rachel sat across from a woman with bright red hair in a small, sparsely decorated office. The woman - the plaque on her desk said "Ms. Pillsbury" - wiped down her computer keyboard with an alcohol wipe before typing in Rachel's information. Rachel sat silently, uncomfortably, as Ms. Pillsbury meticulously cleaned the rest of her desk. When she was done, the woman pumped hand sanitizer from a large jug into her hands, rubbed them together for what seemed like an eternity, before finally turning to Rachel.

"Ms. Berry, let me first welcome you to the Ohio Reformatory for Women."

"Um, thanks?" replied Rachel.

"My name is Ms. Pillsbury, and I'm the counselor here. If you have any issues you need to talk about, please feel free to come speak to me during the appropriate times listed on the schedule on my door."

Rachel had looked at the schedule while she waited for twenty minutes outside of Ms. Pillsbury's office. There was only one hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays open for inmates to come see Ms. Pillsbury. Rachel all but rolled her eyes. She was coming to realize that her only means of support in this hell hole was going to be Quinn and her friends.

"While you're here," Ms. Pillsbury continued, "I also have a few informational pamphlets for you to look at."

Ms. Pillsbury handed Rachel a number of pamphlets from off her desk. Rachel read the titles of what she was holding:

_Prison and You: A Practical Guide to Life Locked Up_

_Showers and Shanks: How to Survive Prison Without Really Trying_

_Lesbian Prison Gangs: Don't Be Someone's Bitch_

Rachel tried her hardest not to diva-storm out of Ms. Pillsbury's office and demand to speak to her fathers about the lack of meaningful support provided by the prison authorities. But instead, she just sat there and fumed.

"Read those pamphlets, Ms. Berry. I've heard from many inmates that the pamphlets helped ease their transition to prison life."

"I'm sure," Rachel muttered under her breath.

"In the mean time, let's get you set up with a job here. It will give you a sense of purpose throughout your day."

"I'd like that, Ma'am," Rachel replied, trying her best to seem sincere.

Ms. Pillsbury typed something into her computer. "Alright, well, I have openings in the kitchen, the workshop, and the library. What would you prefer?"

"I think I'd like to work in the library, if that's possible."

"Absolutely," said Ms. Pillsbury as she typed into her computer. "You'll start tomorrow. Report to the library after breakfast. Aria is our head librarian."

Suddenly, Ms. Pillsbury's door bust open and Warden Sue Sylvester, in a bright red pant suit, stormed into the office.

"OCD, where the fuck are your expense reports?" yelled Sue.

"Um… uh… Warden, I'm in the middle of a meeting. With a new inmate."

Sue eyed Rachel with contempt. "Who the fuck are you?"

Rachel tried not to let Sue's crass nature affect her. "Rachel Berry, Ma'am."

"Oh. You're the one with two dads."

"Um, yes, Ma'am."

"You've been a thorn in my ass since before you got here."

"Ma'am?"

"Your dads seem to think they can get you preferential treatment. But I've told them, and I'm telling you now, this is fucking prison. And you better fucking believe that you're nothing special in here. Better fucking watch your ass, Berry." With that, the Warden stormed out of Ms. Pillsbury's office and slammed the door behind her.

"Welcome to the Reformatory, Ms. Berry," said Ms. Pillsbury with an apologetic smile.

* * *

In the evening of Rachel's second day, Rachel and Quinn sat at a table in the Rec-Room and played chess on a makeshift cardboard chess set. A few other inmates relaxed, as best they could, by watching TV or playing other makeshift board games with each other. Rachel and Quinn silently enjoyed each others company as they played, concentrating on the game and forgetting about much else.

Zizes and her two lackeys, Mercedes and Beiste, strutted into the Rec-Room and immediately intimidated their way to the control of the TV. Quinn tried her hardest to ignore the commotion, but Zizes' loud voice distracted her. And whenever Quinn looked over at the rowdy group, Zizes was always looking at Quinn, smirking.

"Let's get out of here," Quinn said to Rachel once she had enough of Zizes shit-eating grin.

"Can we finish our game first?" asked Rachel. "I think I'm close to winning." Rachel smiled up at Quinn, and Quinn sighed. She knew it was a bad sign, given how much she usually closed herself off from people, but Quinn wanted to make Rachel happy, especially if it meant that Rachel would smile at Quinn like she was in that moment.

"Okay."

Rachel and Quinn continued their game, though Quinn was still distracted. Behind her, Finn Hudson, a tall, imposing, Corrections Officer, came into the Rec-Room and stood by the entrance, observing the inmates. Quinn saw Zizes out of the corner of her eye go over to Hudson and stand next to him by the wall. They spoke a few words, and then Zizes returned to her lackeys. Quinn watched her for a moment, until Zizes locked eyes with Quinn and smirked again.

"It's your turn," said Rachel, snapping Quinn out of it.

"Right, sorry," said Quinn, distracted. She quickly made a move on the chessboard. Rachel made a move, and then Quinn again.

"Check," said Rachel, moving another piece.

Quinn studied the board, and then smiled. "That's Mate. You won." Rachel beamed and Quinn's heartbeat quickened at the brunette's vibrant smile. They both stood and began clearing the chess set to put back on the game shelf.

"I've only played a couple times," said Rachel.

"Well, you're good at it."

"We should make this a weekly thing. Sunday chess match."

Quinn laughed, "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Watch where the fuck you're going!" yelled Hudson from the doorway. Sugar Motta, a ditzy, young inmate, had spilled a glass of water when she accidentally ran into the big, lumbering oaf. Hudson took his baton and pushed Sugar up against the wall with the club at her neck. "You better watch yourself inmate. I'll fuck you up the next time you cross the line."

The rest of the inmates in the Rec-Room watched in horror as Hudson held Sugar against the wall. Quinn held a protective arm around a terrified Rachel, shielding her. Hudson stared down at Sugar, enjoying his power-trip. A slight smirk appeared on his face, and he pushed her down to the ground. He looked around the room, seeming to dare anyone to help Sugar, then he puffed out his chest and sauntered off.

Rachel pulled out of Quinn's arms and knelt by Sugar, helping her to sit up. "Are you okay?"

Sugar nodded, rubbing her neck and coughing a few times.

"I'm Raz."

"Sugs," said Sugar as Rachel helped her to her feet. "Thank you."

"Sure."

Sugar smiled at Rachel, nodded at Quinn, and then left the Rec-Room. After a moment, Quinn took Rachel by the hand and led her out of the Rec-Room.

"Quinn?"

"Not in here. Come on."

Quinn and Rachel walked around the yard, trying to get as far away from any inmates or guards as possible.

Rachel let out an exasperated sigh, "What happened in there?"

"Welcome to prison," Quinn said sarcastically.

"Quinn, be serious."

"I'm sorry. That's pretty common, Raz."

"Who is he?"

"That's Finn Hudson. He's the worst guard in here. He's sadistic and dangerous, and he gets off on the power. Please, whatever you do, stay away from him."

"Okay."

Quinn stopped in her tracks and turned to Rachel. "No. You don't understand. You have to promise me, Raz, that you'll stay away from him. I don't want him to hurt you."

Rachel's breath hitched in her chest at the look of protectiveness in Quinn's eyes. She nodded, "I promise."

Quinn softened. "Thank you."

Quinn and Rachel continued walking around the yard. Quinn was still fuming on the inside. Hudson was toeing the line with the inmates, asserting his power and dominance. Quinn knew he couldn't be touched. He was Warden Sylvester's golden boy. He could do no wrong in her eyes, so no amount of complaining from the inmates would do any good. Quinn also suspected that he had something to do with the drug problem at Reform, but she was hard pressed for any actual evidence other than the few observations of him and Zizes together.

Quinn was scared for Rachel. One step out of line around him, and she could end up in Solitary, or worse. The smaller girl didn't seem to realize how dangerous he was, though Quinn knew all too well.

Quinn and Rachel made their way around the far side of the prison yard and approached the group of Santana, Brittany, Sugar, and the rest of the Cheerios standing by the fence. Quinn and Santana nodded at each other, and Santana clasped a friendly hand on Rachel's shoulder.

"Thanks, Raz, for looking after my girl Sugs here," said Santana.

"Um, of course."

"Let me introduce you to the rest of the Cheerios."

Rachel looked around the group and smiled shyly at the new faces.

"You've met Jewnese and Asian F, and you just met Sugs today. This is Princess and California," Santana said, gesturing at the two young women Rachel didn't know.

"I'm Kerri Hummel, you can call me Princess," said the shorter woman with light brown hair and a full face of make up.

"I'm Sammi Evans, California," said the taller, tan blonde.

"Hi, Rachel Berry. Raz."

"So, these are the Cheerios, minus Febreze of course," said Santana.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I saw Zizes talk with Hudson before he fucked with Sugs."

"What'd they talk about?" asked Santana.

"Couldn't tell. But something's going on."

"Yeah. Keep an eye out." said Santana.

"Always do," said Quinn.

"Alright, break it up!" said Noah Puckerman, another tall guard, built like a football player, coming over to the group. "You know the rules, no more than two inmates together in the yard." Puck walked right into the middle of the group in order to get them to move.

"Yeah, yeah. We get it, Puck," said Santana, walking off with Brittany. The rest of the Cheerios began to disperse.

"Hey Lopez," Puck called out. Santana turned around. "Let me know when you want some sausage instead of all that fish." He gestured lewdly at his crotch.

"Oh, didn't you hear? I'm pescatarian," Santana called back.

"Really? I'm Lutheran," said Brittany. Santana shook her head and led her girlfriend away.

Quinn led Rachel away from Puck's leering eyes. "Stay away from him too," said Quinn as soon as her and Rachel were out of range of Puck. "He's not as bad as Hudson, but he'll try to seduce you, and it's just disgusting."

"Ew," said Rachel.

"Yeah. I heard he's gotten a few girls pregnant over the years."

"Double ew."

"Come on, we don't want to be late for lock-in."

* * *

Rachel walked into the prison library to start her work duty. She didn't see anyone there, so she began walking through the shelves of books. Rachel was quite surprised at how many books the prison had. The books weren't in the best condition, but they existed nonetheless, and that fact made Rachel quite happy. She hoped that working in the library would help shelter her from some of the unpleasant things about being in prison.

"Are you Rachel?" said a voice behind her. Rachel turned to see a woman with glasses and long brown hair in a braid sitting in a wheelchair.

"Um, yes. Hi."

"I'm Aria Abrams. You can call me Artsy, if you want."

"I'm Raz."

"Nice to meet you. Come on, I'll show you the library." Aria wheeled around and Rachel followed. She pointed out the different sections, how the books were organized, and noted different popular books and where they were located. Aria showed Rachel the computer system, and how to check out books. She also informed the brunette about the prison's rules for computer use for inmates, as well as how their degree program worked.

By the time they were done, Rachel's head was spinning with so much information again. Aria directed Rachel to spend the morning shelving books so she could learn the layout. Rachel was happy to work in a slow-paced environment, and she spent a lot of time reading a few pages of the books she was putting away.

It felt good to Rachel to have a purpose to her life again. Working in the library, she felt, would be good for her. Keep her sane. Keep her busy. The library was quiet and calm, and away from most of the inmates. Rachel wanted to keep to herself as best she could. She would heed Quinn's words of wisdom to keep her head down and do her time quietly.

Quinn was another matter altogether. Rachel appreciated Quinn's protectiveness, but she was still very unsure of her cell-mate. The way other inmates acted around Quinn made Rachel suspicious. She knew something was going on, though Quinn hadn't yet divulged much information, just what Rachel had overheard about Zizes and Hudson.

There was something else too, something Rachel couldn't quite put her finger on about the pink-haired girl's distant nature. Rachel wasn't sure if it had to do with the reason for Quinn being in prison, or something that had happened to Quinn before Rachel was imprisoned. But Rachel was headstrong and unwavering in her curiousity about her beautiful and mysterious cell-mate. She was determined to get to know Quinn, despite Quinn's aloof exterior. She would respect her cell-mates boundaries, but even if it took five years, Rachel would get Quinn to open up to her. She had time to wait.

* * *

_AN:_

_Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed Part 1. With my plan for this story as it stands, there should be 5 parts. I've got the whole thing planned out, and since it is currently winter break, I should have tons of time to write! _

_Reviews are much appreciated._


	3. Part 2

_Thank you all so much for reading this story! It means so much to me to know that so many of you have "followed" and "favorited" this story and me._

_Please note there are descriptions of sexual assault and violence in this chapter. Adjust your reading accordingly._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

PART 2:

"Are you making friends?"

"Have you seen anyone get stabbed yet?"

"How's the food?"

"Are there gangs?"

"Are you able to sleep alright on their mattresses?"

"Has anyone made you their bitch?"

Rachel tried not to laugh as her fathers probed her with ridiculous questions, though Hiram's were by far more ridiculous than Leroy's.

Leroy Berry rolled his eyes at his husband's questions, knowing Hiram coped best with humor. "But seriously honey, how are you doing?"

Rachel sighed. How to answer that question? "I'm okay I guess. As okay as can be expected under such dire circumstances. I have made friends, sort of. My cell-mate is nice but quiet. I have a job in the prison library. I guess, overall, it could be much worse."

Rachel's fathers were visiting for the first time. The Berry Men brought with them as many things as the guards would allow them to bring in. Rachel received from them a warmer, softer blanket, her favorite shampoo and shower gel, and flip-flops for the bathroom. Her fathers also put money into her prison account so she could purchase things at the prison "store".

Their visit was short, but Rachel was glad they came. They parted with promises of visiting every month, and Rachel promised to call every Sunday after her weekly chess game with Quinn.

When Rachel got back to her cell, she was bubbly and bursting with post-visit cheer. Quinn, on the other hand, was not so happy. Rachel began to tell Quinn about her visit, but was quickly cut off.

"Shut it Raz."

"But I only wanted to tell you about my fathers."

"Look, it's not that I don't care. But you need to learn not to shoot your mouth off about that shit in here. It's nice that your dads came, but some of us don't get visitors much. Some ladies have family who can't visit, others have family who won't. Some of us just don't have any family left. Talking about how lucky you are to have your fathers visit is a good way to make enemies real quick. So, just watch what you say, alright?"

Rachel nodded. "I'm sorry." She slunk to her bed, clutched the pink blanket her fathers brought, and wondered if Quinn ever had any visitors. Once again, Quinn's icy exterior was meant to keep Rachel at a distance, but only served to make Rachel even more curious about Quinn.

* * *

"Quinn?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you miss about... outside?" Rachel asked. The moonlight streamed through the barred window in their cell. Both girls lay in their beds. It was well after lights-out, but neither could sleep. Two weeks had passed since Rachel had arrived at Reform, and she was becoming severely homesick. The visit from her fathers a few days ago hadn't helped much. To make matters worse was Quinn's cold behavior towards her since their visit.

Quinn sighed and thought about Rachel's question. What did she miss? Her friends? Being normal? Quinn missed pretty much everything about being free. "I miss… I miss shopping. Going on 2 A.M. trips to WalMart to get ice cream and frozen pizza. Like just being free to spend money on whatever I want whenever I want. I really miss that simple freedom."

Rachel hummed in agreement.

"What about you, Berry?" asked Quinn. As much as Quinn hated to admit it, it was kind of nice to talk to her cell-mate again instead of avoiding her the past few days since Quinn's little lecture about visitors. She knew she was being cruel, shutting Rachel out like that, but it was Quinn's only form of self-preservation. Prison was tough, and not letting people in was her way of coping. Whether or not the strategy was effective was another matter.

"Um, well now mine seems trivial in comparison," said Rachel.

"Oh come on. You brought it up. What is it? Like eating Taco Bell or something?"

"Hardly. I'm a vegan."

"How can you be vegan? I've seen you eat the mystery meat with the rest of us."

"I may not be able to practice my veganism in order to survive locked up in here, however, I am still ideologically vegan."

"Ideologically vegan? Wow. And I thought California was hippy."

"Hippy! I resent the implication-"

"Berry!" Quinn interrupted. "Are you going to tell me what you miss?"

"Right, sorry. I miss… well, honestly, I miss MySpace."

"MySpace?" said Quinn in disbelief. She had heard many things people missed while being in prison, but MySpace was a new one. "Who has a MySpace anymore? It's not 2005."

"MySpace is still a very relevant social networking tool."

Quinn snorted.

"It is!" Rachel protested. "I used my MySpace to gain a certain level of internet fame. I would post my daily video for my fans. They used to comment on my videos."

"Anything nice?"

"Sometimes."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Why didn't you just use youtube?"

"I, um..." Rachel was stumped. Why hadn't she used youtube? Well, now her whole use of social media seemed outdated.

Quinn smiled at her ability to make Rachel tongue-tied. "I miss the internet too."

"It feels weird to be so cut off from the rest of society. I mean, I could care less about the celebrity gossip, but I do miss news."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Quinn. "I was so looking forward to voting in the election this year. My first act of rebellion. Now I'll never be able to vote again."

"What? Why?"

"Convicted felons can't vote, even when they get out of prison."

"What!"

"You didn't know that? Fuck, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, Raz."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest but then realized that she enjoyed the way Quinn teased her. She had missed it. "I'm sorry about the other day."

"It's forgotten."

"Really? So we're okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine."

"Good," Rachel sighed. "I was kind of worried."

Quinn smiled to herself. "Goodnight Raz."

"Goodnight Febreze," Rachel replied.

* * *

"Cell inspection. All inmates out of their cells. Now!" came the announcement over the loudspeakers in the prison.

Rachel looked to Quinn across the cell, confused. "Quinn?"

"Come on," Quinn said, gesturing to the open cell door. "Stand up straight, stay still, and don't say anything."

Rachel nodded and did as she was told. She and Quinn stepped outside their cell and stood on either side of the open door. Other inmates up and down the hallway stood exactly the same as Rachel and Quinn. Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel saw guards going into cells, a few moments later coming back out, then going into the next one, working their way down the cells.

After a few minutes, the worst guard got to their cell. Finn Hudson eyed both Rachel and Quinn as they stood outside their cell. He smirked and then went in. Rachel heard Hudson tearing the room apart, but she forced herself to stand ramrod straight and not peek over her shoulder to see what he was doing.

Quinn also forced herself to keep still. Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew what Hudson was doing from his sick smirk, having seen it happen to new inmates a few times before. Thank God it hadn't happened to her when she first arrived almost seven months ago. Her stomach turned in knots, because she knew how powerless she was to stop him. She was powerless to protect Rachel from his sadistic plan.

Hudson stepped out of their cell after a heart-stopping minute. In his hand, he held out a small baggie of some kind of white powder.

"Think you could hide this from me?" Hudson said to Rachel.

"That's not mine," Rachel protested.

"I found it under your bed. Who the fuck does it belong to then?" Hudson demanded.

"I don't… It's not mine!"

"Come with me Berry," Hudson said, grabbing Rachel's arm.

"Hey! She said it's not hers," Quinn said, trying to stand up for Rachel, knowing full well that Hudson planted the drugs.

Hudson grabbed his baton from his utility belt and pushed it into Quinn's chest. "Get back in your fucking cell Fabray, before I break your fucking face." Quinn stared daggers at Finn for a tense moment, and then backed down. "Clean up your fucking cell. It's a mess."

Rachel locked eyes with Quinn, silently begging for help. Quinn shook her head slightly, mouthed "sorry", and backed into their cell. There was nothing she could do.

"No. No. Please. No," Rachel muttered as Hudson led her away.

* * *

Finn Hudson brought Rachel into an unlocked office. He shoved Rachel down in an open chair before turning and locking the door. He turned back and smirked at Rachel. Rachel's stomach dropped at the look in Hudson's eyes, and tears formed in her eyes.

"Here's what's going to happen, Berry," said Hudson, looming over her. "You're going to do exactly what I want, and in exchange, I won't go to Sylvester with this contraband. Do you understand?"

Rachel blinked, tears starting to stream down her cheeks, and she nodded. She couldn't believe this was happening to her. Her heart raced and she felt sick to her stomach, knowing what was coming.

"Good," Hudson said. He stood before her, reached down and began to unzip his pants. Rachel closed her eyes and prayed for it to be over quickly.

There was a jingle of keys, and then the sound of a key in the lock. Hudson quickly zipped his fly and stepped back from Rachel. Will Schuester opened the door.

"Oh, Hudson, didn't know you were in here."

"Yeah, just giving Ms. Berry here the rundown of the rules of cell contraband searches."

"Good," said Schuester, completely oblivious to what he interrupted. "We'll be hitting up B-Block in ten minutes."

"Sounds good. Better get Berry back to her cell." Hudson pulled Rachel up and led her out of the room.

Once they were a ways down the empty hallway, Hudson pushed Rachel against the wall and held her there. He leaned over and looked eye-to-eye with her. "If you tell anyone, I swear to God I will finish what I fucking started. And I will enjoy it. And then, just for fun, I'll fuck that pretty cell-mate of yours too. Do I make myself clear, Berry?"

Rachel nodded. Hudson led Rachel back to her cell. "Have a nice day, Berry," taunted Hudson when he left her there. "Good job cleaning up, Fabray," Hudson said, noticing the cell had been put back together after the mess he made of it.

Rachel sat down on her bed, shell-shocked. Quinn immediately knelt down before Rachel and took Rachel's hands in her own.

"Rach? Rachel, what happened?" asked Quinn, concerned. Rachel avoided Quinn's eyes. "Please, Rach. Talk to me. What did he do?" Rachel shook her head. Quinn didn't know what to do. Obviously Finn did something to Rachel to make her act like this. Quinn was sick with rage and wanted to run down the hall, tackle Hudson and beat the living shit out of him for whatever the hell he did. The only thing stopping her from retaliating like that was the tiny, vulnerable girl in front of her. She had more important things to do, like watching after Rachel, rather than focusing on revenge right now.

Rachel pulled away from Quinn, curled up on her bed facing the wall and allowed the tears in her eyes to begin to fall. She wanted to throw up from sheer terror at the thought of Hudson doing whatever he was going to do to her. She had only been that close to being assaulted once before, and that had resulted in her killing a man in defense. But in that room with Hudson, she was in no position to defend herself. And now, she had no idea how to protect herself from further harassment.

God, she wanted to tell Quinn. She felt like she was going to burst, keeping it all in. But she just couldn't. Rachel was terrified for herself, and for Quin. She knew Hudson would finish what he started if he found out she said anything. Hell, he might do that anyway, but she couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk Quinn's safety. Her cell-mate meant too much to her.

* * *

Rachel tossed and turned in the bed across from Quinn. She hadn't spoken for the rest of the night after Hudson brought her back to the cell, but now, Quinn listened to Rachel mutter and moan in her sleep.

"No… no please… no…." Rachel whimpered, still sleeping. She seemed to be having a really distressing dream, and Quinn was worried about the poor girl. What had Hudson done to her?

Rachel screamed out and startled herself awake. Quinn rushed to Rachel's side and immediately Rachel collapsed sobbing into Quinn's waiting arms.

"Oh Rach…" Quinn whispered as she sat on the bed and rubbed Rachel's back. "Shhh… It's okay. I've got you. You're safe. Shhh..." Rachel slowly calmed, and her heavy breathing returned to normal. "God, Rach, what did he do to you?"

Rachel pulled away from Quinn slightly to look in her eyes. Quinn touched Rachel's cheek, wiping the tracks of Rachel's tears with the pad of her thumb. Her heartbeat quickened at their intimacy, and Quinn wondered, in a passing thought, what it would be like to kiss Rachel's lips. She quickly dismissed the thought with a shake of her head, and refocused on the reason for Rachel's nightmare.

"Please tell me?" whispered Quinn.

Rachel sighed. She wanted so badly to open up to Quinn and tell her what happened, but she was terrified that Hudson would come after her. "Quinn… I can't. He… he'll find out."

"Rach… I'm gonna protect you."

In the darkness, Rachel saw the glint in Quinn's eye, and she felt Quinn's arms tighten their hold. Rachel knew what Quinn was thinking. Revenge.

"Please, don't do anything stupid, Quinn," Rachel begged. Quinn looked away, but Rachel touched Quinn's face and made Quinn look at her. "Promise me. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Quinn nodded after a moment's consideration. "Okay. I promise. I won't do anything stupid."

Rachel smiled. "Do one more thing for me?"

Quinn smiled slightly. "What?"

"Stay with me tonight?"

"Rach…If they catch us..."

"Please? I know I'll sleep better with you here."

Quinn sighed. She was walking a fine line here with Rachel. Her feelings were complicated enough, and keeping Rachel at arms length was, so far, the only way for Quinn to protect herself, and protect Rachel. But right then, in that moment, Rachel's nearness was too intoxicating to resist.

"Okay. Okay, I'll stay," Quinn said.

"Thank you." Rachel curled into Quinn's body and they both lay back on Rachel's small mattress. Quinn held Rachel as she nuzzled into the crook of Quinn's shoulder. Quinn tried not to notice the way their bodies melded perfectly together, or the scent of Rachel's shampoo. She closed her eyes and tried to keep her heartbeat from racing. It had been a long time since she held someone like this.

"I see the nightmares when I close my eyes," Rachel whispered.

"Try not to focus on that."

"It's hard not to."

"Maybe this will help," Quinn said as she tried to remember what her father used to sing to her when she was little. As painful as it was to think about her father, she thought the song might help Rachel.

Quinn sang softly, like whispers in Rachel's ear, "Christopher Robin and I walked along under branches lit up by the moon. Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore as our days disappeared all too soon. But I've wandered much further today than I should and I can't seem to find my way back to the wood. So help me if you can I've got to get back to the house on Pooh Corner by one. You'd be surprised there's so much to be done. Count all the bees in the hive. Chase all the clouds from the sky. Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh."

Rachel closed her eyes and breathed in and out, trying to calm herself and keep the images of her dreams from reappearing. Lying in Quinn's arms, listening to Quinn sing, helped her keep her mind from drifting to the awful events of the day. It was nice to hear music again, and Quinn had a wonderful singing voice. In days before, Rachel might have been jealous of Quinn's talent. In here, Rachel was just thankful Quinn liked her enough to sing for her.

Eventually, Rachel drifted off, comfortable and calm. Quinn felt Rachel's breathing slow as she finished the song. Rachel had fallen asleep in her arms. She pulled Rachel closer and kissed the top of her forehead. "I'm gonna keep you safe, Rachel," Quinn whispered. "I promise."

* * *

"The key here, Raz, is shading."

Rachel sat patiently in the Rec Room while Kerri Hummel gave her a makeover. The idea was Kerri's. She thought Rachel had excellent bone structure, and she had been dying to paint her face since she first saw Rachel. Kerri ambushed Rachel with her makeup kit during Quinn and Rachel's weekly chess game in the Rec Room.

A half an hour later, Quinn, Santana and Brittany watched amused as Kerri put makeup on Rachel. She powdered and primped, swiped eyeliner and mascara, and put the final touches with blush and lipstick.

"You see," Kerri continued. "Good makeup is all about using shadows to accent the contours of your face, making your cheekbones more defined and your forehead rounder. Drag Queens use the contouring illusion to the extreme, but anyone can take advantage of the concept."

"How do you know all this?" Rachel asked.

"I was in school for cosmetology before I got busted. I wanted to be a makeup artist and do makeup for fashion shows in New York."

"Maybe we would have met. I was going to be on Broadway."

"Yeah, maybe," said Kerri, turning the mirror to Rachel.

Rachel smiled bright when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her face looked silky smooth like a doll. Her eyes were expertly shaddowed, cheeks perfectly blended, not a flaw to be seen on her skin. Rachel couldn't remember a time she looked more beautiful.

Quinn watched Rachel gush over her makeover with Kerri. Quinn couldn't take her eyes off the brunette and her gorgeous face. Nights of holding Rachel while she cried and fought off the demons in her nightmares made Quinn quite aware of her growing feelings for Rachel, though Quinn tried to present a cool and aloof exterior in public.

Santana observed Quinn with a sly smile on her face as Quinn watched Rachel. The feisty Latina could read the closed-off former blonde like a book. She knew exactly what was going on in Quinn's head, having felt similar things for Brittany when the bubbly blonde had first arrived over a year ago.

After a moment, Quinn felt Santana's eyes on her. "What?" said Quinn quietly.

"You're cute," said Santana.

Quinn crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her eyes on Rachel. "I don't know what you're implying, so what don't you just come out and say it."

"You like her."

"Yeah, she's a good cell-mate."

"Bullshit. I know you only been here six months, but I know you 'Breezey. I can read it all over your face."

Quinn turned to face Santana, "I'm gonna say this to you once, so listen well. There is nothing going on."

Santana held Quinn's eyes for a moment. She knew her friend was lying, but didn't want to push Quinn. Quinn obviously wasn't ready to admit anything, maybe not even to herself yet.

"Alright," Santana said, dropping the matter, for now.

"What do you think?" Rachel turned to ask Quinn what she thought of the makeover.

Quinn swallowed the stuck words in her throat before taking a deep breath. She smiled at Rachel. "You look great." Rachel blushed and smiled shyly at Quinn before turning back to Kerri.

Quinn ignored the amused look on Santana's face and tried to convince herself of her own words. There was nothing going on. Sure, she may have feelings for her cell-mate. She had only held Rachel as she cried every night this week. She had only done what any good cell-mate would do, soothing Rachel through every nightmare. Sure, she had wanted to kill Hudson every time she saw him. Though her promise to Rachel kept her from doing something instantly gratifying, however stupid. But, there was really nothing going on.

"Me next!" squealed Brittany. Rachel laughed and relinquished her seat to the bubbly blonde. She stood by Quinn and watched Brittany's excitement.

"Payment first," said Kerri. "Rachel got her one free makeover. Brittany's already had hers."

Brittany looked to Santana with big puppy-dog eyes. The Latina smiled and pulled out a small bag from her waistband and gave it to Kerri. Kerri opened the bag to find two brand new shades of expensive eyeshadow.

"Shit, where did you get these?" Kerri said.

"Sunshine's good to me."

"Girl, I don't know how you do it, but your wife can have two makeovers for this."

Brittany squealed and sprang up to hug Santana. Santana whispered something into Brittany's ear before pulling out of the hug. Brittany kissed Santana quickly before anyone saw, and then sat down in the chair with a huge smile on her face. Santana pulled another chair over, sat down next to Brittany and tried to keep her from talking too much as Kerri drew lines of foundation on Brittany's face.

"They're cute together," Rachel commented to Quinn about Brittany and Santana.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"What's their story?"

"Raz," Quinn sighed. Rachel asked too many questions sometimes.

"It's just, they seem to be an unlikely pair, but it works. I was just wondering."

"I don't know exactly how it happened. They were together before I got here. But from what I heard, I guess Fat Bitch was harassing Stretch her first day, kinda like she did to you. Cap'n…" Quinn smiled to herself. "Well, I guess Cap'n took her down with two punches. Fat Bitch was in the infirmary for a week. Cap'n was in solitary for a month. But when she got out... well, her and Stretch have been inseparable ever since. A few months ago, they got 'married' in a little ceremony Sunshine held for them."

"That's so sweet."

"Yeah, I guess so." Quinn smiled and watched Santana and Brittany. Quinn had to admit, they were adorable together. Santana completely fawned over Brittany. Brittany softened the Latina's rougher edges. They brought out the best in each other even though they lived in the worst place possible. In a passing thought, Quinn wondered if she would ever have a love like theirs. She looked at Rachel out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly to herself. Maybe some day.

"Hey! What's going on here?" said Corrections Officer Blaine Anderson as he walked into the Rec Room.

"Just having some fun Anderson," said Santana, on the defensive. Blaine Anderson was one of the nicest guards at Reform, but he played by the book as well, not allowing for much wiggle-room from the procedures.

"I'm allowed to do this," Kerri said shyly. She pulled out a piece of paper from her makeup kit and handed it to Blaine. "My permission slip from the Warden herself. I can have makeup, and am allowed to give makeovers to inmates once a month, so long as I submit my makeup to random testing."

Blaine read over the paper before handing it back to Kerri with a smile. "Alright, carry on. You do a good job."

Kerri blushed and thanked Blaine before returning to her work. Blaine smiled at the group of women before leaving the Rec Room. Quinn and Santana exchanged knowing looks at Kerri's shy behavior.

"Be careful Princess," teased Quinn.

"Shut up Febreze," Kerri shot back.

"He's a guard," said Santana.

"Don't you think I know that? Fuck you guys."

"Oh, ignore them, they're just teasing," said Brittany. "Besides, I think he likes you too."

Kerri blushed. "Really?" She continued to put makeup on Brittany, but with a slight smile on her face.

"Paint your faces sinners, you can't hide from the Lord," came a voice from the hallway.

"Oh, fuck, here we go," muttered Quinn as Teen Jesus Jo Hart, a young, zealous, dreadlock-sporting inmate came into the Rec Room followed by her merry band of disciples, four other weak-minded follower-types.

"And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life," Jo preached. "The Bible is clear on vanity. Renounce your sinful ways and embrace a more righteous and moral path."

"Hey, newsflash for ya, Teen Jesus. We're in prison, and we all got here by sinning in one way or another. Even yourself," argued Santana.

"I was following God's calling. God's law is higher than any law Man can hold me to."

"Apparently that includes murder," Quinn said.

"God told me to bomb that _clinic_. They were baby-killers!"

"Eye for an eye, then?" Quinn shot back.

Jo glared at Quinn. "I will enter through the gates of Heaven, and you will burn in the pits of hell for your sins."

Quinn stepped into Jo's personal space. "And what the fuck would you know about my sins?"

Jo leaned in and whispered into Quinn's ear, "I don't think your _father _would appreciate your disgusting, lustful, _lesbian_ ways."

Quinn's eyes grew dark with rage. She shoved Jo away and quickly threw a punch that landed on Jo's jaw with a sickening crunch. Another punch from Quinn connected in Jo's side. Jo fell to the floor, and Quinn towered over her, ready to strike again.

Horrified, Rachel called out Quinn's name, trying to stop Quinn from causing more harm to the crumpled, radical nutjob. Quinn was broken out of her rage-induced trance momentarily at hearing Rachel's plea. Quinn locked eyes with Rachel across the room, before being tackled to the floor by Blaine Anderson. He had rushed into the Rec Room upon hearing the commotion of the fight, and had called in a "Code Orange" over his radio.

Rachel watched in shock as Blaine dragged Quinn out of the Rec Room, while other guards took care of Jo. The remaining women in the Rec Room were ordered back to their cells. Rachel didn't get a chance to speak to Santana about what happened, as they were led in different directions back to the cells. Her heart was pounding on the walk back. She had never seen Quinn like this before, and it terrified her. What was her cell-mate capable of?

Quinn was deposited in a cell in Solitary. She heard the solid door close behind her before she collapsed onto the hard cot on the floor that served as a bed. Quinn had no idea how long she would be locked up in this tiny room with just enough space for the cot, a toilet, and a hard metal bench bolted to the wall. There was no window and a heavy metal door with a slot in the middle to pass food through. It was a hard room to be in, a dangerous room. If she wasn't careful, she could lose her mind in this room.

Quinn was coming down off the adrenaline high of punching Teen Jesus when a realization hit her. What had she done? Getting locked up in Solitary for not controlling her temper was doing the opposite of protecting Rachel. And what would Rachel think of her now? She was fucked now. Completely fucked.

Quinn curled up on the cot and didn't fight the sobs that came from deep inside her. Her feelings for Rachel, the pain, the memories, the loss, the reason she lashed out at Teen Jesus were all at the forefront of her mind while she cried.

* * *

"You've been kind of quiet lately."

Rachel looked over from her book sorting duties to her librarian companion, Aria. She hadn't spoken much thus far that day. In fact, she hadn't spoken much for almost a week now since Quinn was put into Solitary for attacking Teen Jesus Jo Hart. Rachel sighed, wondering if she could confide in Aria about what troubled her. So far, Aria had proven to be a dependable and trustworthy confidant.

"I'm just worried. About Quinn," Rachel responded.

"Yeah? Have you heard when she'll be out?" Aria asked.

"No. No one's heard anything."

"She's a strong girl. She'll be alright in there."

"I'm not so sure," Rachel sighed. She pondered her next move. Should she ask Aria the question she's been dying to ask, knowing it would break Quinn's rule? "Aria, what do you know about Quinn?"

"What do you mean?" Aria asked, knowing full well what Rachel meant.

"What did Quinn do? Her crime?"

Aria sighed and adjusted her glasses. "Rachel. You know I can't tell you."

"I need to know."

"Then you need to ask Quinn when she gets out. She has the right to tell you. Not me."

Rachel nodded and turned her attention back to her work. The menial task of entering barcode numbers into the computer helped her keep her mind at bay for the moment. Rachel got so caught up in her work that she failed to notice anyone come in or out of the Library. Aria took care of checking out books to any inmates while Rachel worked.

Soon, Rachel's eyes grew tired. She looked up to scan the Library and give her eyes a bit of a rest. In the back corner of the Library, Rachel could make out two figures, a guard from the uniform, and an inmate. Curious, Rachel observed them talk for a minute, then something was passed between them. Rachel saw movement and immediately dropped her eyes back to the computer in front of her. Someone walked from the back corner up towards Rachel.

"Hey Berry," said Finn Hudson, coming up to the Library desk. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Rachel muttered, not making eye contact. Her heart pounded in her ears. Hudson terrified her, and she knew he knew the effect he had on her.

"Good. Have a good one," Finn called out as he left the Library.

Rachel's stomach was in knots and her feet and hands were numb because all the blood had drained from her limbs. She looked up after Finn was gone to see Zizes ambling back to the Library desk with three books in her arms. Zizes checked out her books with Aria while Rachel tried to calm down and seem inconspicuous on her computer. Once Zizes had left, Rachel relaxed a little from her near-panic attack. But that left her time to think. Had she really just seen Hudson and Zizes together? Did she see a drug deal go down? She knew Quinn was paranoid about the two of them, but from what Rachel just observed, Quinn's suspicions might just have some grounds.

* * *

Quinn lay on her cot in the Solitary cell and wondered for the tenth time in the past hour how many days she had been in here. Quinn thought it might be five or six based on the number of "meals" she had eaten. All her breakfasts had been cold toast with a small smear of peanut butter and a cup of applesauce. Her lunches were a plain ham sandwich. Her dinners were the "mystery meat" and mixed vegetables. All-in-all, not as horrible as she imagined food in Solitary would have been, but not great either. She couldn't believe she actually missed the food in the cafeteria.

Quinn hadn't been told how long she'd be in there. When Santana beat up Zizes, she got a month. But then again, Santana had a history of violence on her prison record already. Quinn, thus far, had been a model inmate. She hoped she wouldn't be in this room much longer; she didn't know how much more she could take. So far, Quinn had staved off boredom by singing every song she knew. But she was quickly running out of songs.

Isolation was hard to deal with. No human contact. Nothing to distract yourself from your own thoughts. Your mind was your own prison, more than the brick walls around you. Quinn had nothing but time to think about everything. Her memories had come in waves over the past however many days. She fought hard to keep the memories away, but no matter how hard she worked to distract herself with singing, there they were.

The worst times were when Quinn tried to sleep. Her nightmares revolved around her two biggest regrets: the crime that put her in prison, and the woman she failed to protect when she was first locked up, the woman who was the reason Quinn tried so hard to protect Rachel. She was haunted by her mistakes, mistakes she worked hard to keep hidden.

"Quinn Fabray," came a voice from through the slot in the door. Quinn was broken from her thoughts and quickly stood and waited for the door to open.

Will Schuester opened Quinn's cell door and stepped in. He appraised Quinn's appearance before speaking. "Sylvester has directed me to release you. This will go on your prison record and can be used as evidence against you in further crimes."

"I understand," said Quinn.

"Follow me," said Schuester.

He led Quinn back to her cell. On the walk back, Quinn made sure to enjoy the afternoon sunlight streaming through windows along the hallways. She passed Brittany and Santana on the way. Brittany gave her a mega-watt smile and a wave, and Santana gave her a head nod. Quinn smiled and head-nodded back, while she followed Schuester.

Up on the third floor, a few other inmates acknowledged Quinn as she passed. Schuester deposited her back in her cell.

"Quinn! Oh my god!" Rachel stood and approached Quinn. Quinn held out her arm slightly, directing Rachel to stop before making sure Schuester had gone. Schuester watched them for a moment, before sauntering off. "Can I hug you now?"

Quinn laughed, "Sure."

Rachel dove into Quinn's arms, reveling in the comfort there. "I'm so glad you're okay. I missed you," Rachel whispered before realizing that her thoughts had slipped out her lips. "I mean… um…" Rachel pulled away.

"I missed you too, Raz," Quinn smiled.

"How was it? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm curious."

Quinn sat on her bed, basking in the relatively comfortable firm mattress beneath her. Rachel sat across from her and waited for her cell-mate, not wanting to push Quinn into talking if she didn't want to. Quinn was thankful to be back in her cell, thankful she hadn't lost her mind in Solitary, thankful Rachel was there waiting for her return. Quinn just wanted to enjoy being out of that hell hole for a little bit.

"It's awful," Quinn began once she had her moment of peace. "The worst part is the isolation. It's just you in there. You and your thoughts. And that's scary as shit. You become your own worst enemy. You have so much time to analyze everything you've ever done in your life. And there's not much to distract you from those thoughts."

"Oh, Quinn. I'm so sorry you had to go through it."

Quinn shrugged. "It's over. I'm out."

Rachel wished she could get her normally quiet cell-mate to open up more about her experience, but she knew Quinn might open up in time. Rachel just had to be patient and not push Quinn too fast. Maybe if Rachel brought up a topic Quinn might be willing to talk about, she could get the former blonde to disclose more about herself.

After a period of semi-awkward silence, Rachel blurted out, "I saw something."

Quinn snorted at Rachel's very Rachel-like outburst. She really had missed her cell-mate. "And pray tell Ms. Berry, what did you see?"

"Zizes and Hudson."

"I'm listening. Go on."

"In the library. Two days ago. I saw them- well, I thought I saw them pass something between them."

"Like drugs?"

"It could have been. I was sitting at the desk, and they were in the back corner, so I didn't see much."

"Shit."

"Quinn, what's going on?"

Quinn sighed. She wanted to keep Rachel out of all this. She wanted to keep Rachel safe. But if there was a way for Quinn to stop the drugs getting into Reform, then she had to try. She had a promise to keep, an earlier promise to another woman she failed to keep safe.

"Somehow drugs are getting into Reform. I think it's Hudson, and Zizes is the one distributing. I had suspicions for a while, but I just don't have hard evidence."

"Maybe they'll be back in the Library? Maybe we can catch them in the act?"

"Yeah, maybe," Quinn said before losing herself deep in thought. She had been waiting for an opportunity to catch Zizes and Hudson. Maybe this could be the chance.

"Quinn? There's something else." Quinn met Rachel's eyes, and Rachel continued, "Hudson. When he took me, he tried to…" Rachel's eyes welled up with tears and she couldn't finish her sentence.

Quinn knelt down before Rachel as she sat on her bed and took Rachel's hands in her own. "I know. I know Rach."

"Schuester interrupted him before he could do anything. He threatened me, before he took me back to our cell. He said if I told anyone he would finish what he started. And then he would… get you too."

"Fuck," Quinn muttered. "I'm not going to let that happen, Rachel. I'm going to protect you."

"You said you were going to, but you can't always be around. You promised me, and then... I mean, you were in Solitary for a week."

"I know. I'm so sorry. I…" Quinn sighed. It was time. "About that… I should tell you something."

* * *

_Over a year ago..._

_"No daughter of mine is a fucking dyke!" screamed Russel Fabray as he smashed Quinn's computer._

_"Daddy, please, no!"_

_"I won't let you shame the Fabray name again!"_

_Quinn's father grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from her bedroom and into the hallway. He threw her against the wall, causing her to hit her head. Quinn was momentarily disoriented, but had the wherewithal to stumble away from Russell as he towered above her. She rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping, as he chased after her._

_Quinn made her way into the kitchen, with her father screaming homophobic slurs as he chased her. Russell knocked Quinn down against the kitchen island and loomed over her. Quinn fumbled on the floor for anything to use as a weapon against her crazed father. Quinn's hand felt around and grasped onto a knife that had fallen from the island when Russell had knocked her against it._

_Red-faced Russell prepared to strike Quinn. Quinn, in her terror, gripped the knife by her side and waited. It felt like slow-motion to the trembling girl. Russell's fist floated in air above her, and before she knew what she was doing, the knife in her hand lodged into Russell's stomach. Russell cried out and fell on the floor next to Quinn, clutching at the wound, trying in vain to stop the blood pouring out._

_Quinn stood, took one last look at her dying father, and then fled the house._

* * *

"I grew up in a really religious family. Perfection and obedience was expected of us. My older sister was the picture-perfect daughter. I tried to live up to that, but I failed. I got pregnant when I was in 10th grade. I was only fifteen. My parents kicked me out. When I gave my daughter up for adoption, they begrudgingly let me come home, but things were never the same.

"My father was abusive. Not physically, usually. But definitely emotionally. We all lived in fear of him. Especially me. I realized I was different growing up, but I tried to suppress it. I got crushes on girls a lot when I was younger, but I didn't tell anyone ever. My father spoke so vehemently against homosexuality, I knew he'd kill me if I ever was actually gay.

"I did everything I could to keep myself pure in his eyes. I was a cheerleader, dated the quarterback, I was president of the celibacy club for fucks sake. I thought if I could just force myself to be straight, I would be. Which is how I got pregnant, a drunken night trying to pretend to be straight. I had a baby girl. It was a closed adoption. I don't know what happened to her.

"When I came home, my father was more abusive towards me. I pushed myself to be perfect again, but only in order to get away from him when I could. I tried to focus on school, on graduating, getting into a college far away. I was so close. I got into Yale.

"I was on the Yale website one morning before school. They have a few different LGBT organizations on campus. I must have left the webpage for one of them up on my laptop. When I got home from school, my dad had found my laptop. He screamed at me about being a dyke. And then he got violent. I tried to get away, but he chased me into the kitchen. I stabbed him with a chefs knife, and then I ran. I took my car and I drove. By the time the police caught me a few days later, I had gotten all the way to Minneapolis.

"I tried to claim self-defense, but the jury didn't buy it, since I didn't have any bruises to prove a fight, and my father was such an upstanding citizen while I was a teenage mother slash lesbian. So I was convicted of second degree murder. With good behavior, I could be out on parole in about ten years," Quinn finished.

"I'm so sorry Quinn," said Rachel."I get why Teen Jesus would have such an effect on you."

"I shouldn't have let her get to me like that. In here, emotions run high."

"Still, I get it," Rachel said, placing a hand on Quinn's. They sat quietly like that, holding hands on Rachel's bed. Rachel was thankful that Quinn had shared her crime with Rachel. She felt closer to her cell-mate.

Quinn was relieved to finally admit what she had done. The guilt and shame still plagued her, but at least she didn't have to hide it anymore. She trusted Rachel. One secret told, one more to keep hidden, for now at least.

An alarm rang out from the loudspeakers signally dinner time.

"Shall we?" said Rachel.

"Sure. I'm actually excited for dinner. The food in Solitary isn't awful, but damn if I don't actually miss the Caf."

The girls stood up, but before they could move to leave the cell, Rachel pulled Quinn into an embrace.

"Thank you," Rachel whispered.

"For what?" Quinn whispered back.

"Nothing," Rachel shook her head and blushed as she pulled out of the hug. "Just thank you."

* * *

"Raz, what are we doing?" asked Quinn as her and Rachel stood in the far back of the library by the last shelf of books.

"Shh. I told you. We're gonna catch Zizes and Hudson."

"They're not here."

"Not yet. But since I saw them that first time, I've seen them three more times, same time, same days of the week. And-" Rachel peaked her head around the bookshelf to look at the clock on the wall. "It's almost time."

"Okay, fine. But I still don't think this going to work."

"It isn't, huh?" Rachel smiled and nodded towards the door. Quinn peaked around the bookshelf and spotted Lauren Zizes walking into the library.

"Well, I'll be damned," said Quinn.

"Told you."

Quinn and Rachel both hid behind the bookshelf as Zizes approached. She went to a middle book shelf and perused the books. Quinn and Rachel watched carefully through the shelves. A minute later, Hudson came over to Zizes. The girls watched as Hudson and Zizes spoke for a moment, and then Hudson gave Zizes a small baggie of white powder.

"Oh my god," Rachel whispered. Quinn slapped her hand over Rachel's mouth and hoped that Hudson and Zizes didn't hear them. She saw Hudson turn his head in their direction slightly. Quinn moved quickly, pushing Rachel up against the side wall and holding her there, with her hand still over Rachel's mouth. Quinn hoped that if they were caught, it would look like they had been making out, rather than spying on Hudson and Zizes.

Rachel was disoriented, but she wasn't sure if it was from the force of Quinn pushing her against the wall, or just from the closeness of Quinn's body against her own. She could think of nothing else but Quinn's warm body pressed against her, Quinn's warm breath tickling her jawline. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her breathing slowed and her cheeks reddened. Both women were lost in each other's presence, forgetting why they were there in the first place.

Quinn's hand slipped from covering Rachel's mouth to cupping her cheek. She looked deep into Rachel's dark brown eyes and exhaled, trying to keep her wits about her.

"Rach…" Quinn breathed out. Her mouth was inches from Rachel's. Quinn shifted her body, pressing her lower half into Rachel, rubbing dangerously against her. Rachel held back a guttural groan, feeling her center heat up in response to Quinn's hips against her own.

Rachel was flustered. She had never really understood the desire for another person, given that her focus for almost her entire life had been about success and reaching her goal. But in that moment, Rachel finally got it. This is what it felt like to want, need, desire someone so much that it burned into the inner core of your being, that you felt nothing and thought of nothing else but that person. Quinn.

Quinn was dizzy. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so much for one person. She searched for this deep, passionate feeling her whole life, never finding it with boys, and only detecting faint undertones of a vague resemblance to this feeling with other girls.

In that moment, it felt as if only molecules separated them, and both Rachel and Quinn wanted nothing more but to finally take the other as theirs.

Someone cleared their throat behind Rachel and Quinn, and the girls jumped apart at the sound.

"Well, what have we here?"

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! I appreciate comments, questions, and reviews!_


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